"Since I was young, I played with porcelain vases, pottery bottles and other antique objects, which were just like toys to me," recalls Tang of her unique childhood experiences. "The fascinating background stories of antique collections told by my grandfather and his friends motivated me to dig out more information about each object."

On her own initiative, she gradually learned to identify ancient artifacts by observing the decoration, materials and shapes. She also scoured building sites for ceramic or pottery pieces that may have been unearthed by the excavations. Then she would try to gauge their age and asked her grandfather if her findings were right.

"If I heard the answer 'yes', I would be very pleased," she recalls, adding that her grandfather noticed her talent for identifying and valuing antiques and decided to further cultivate her ability.